1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a collision or the like. The present invention is directed particularly to an air bag inflator having a stored gas container made of a composite material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to use an inflatable air bag to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a collision or the like. In some systems, the air bag is inflated by a gas stored under pressure in a container. In the event of sudden vehicle deceleration and/or a side impact to the vehicle, for example, the gas is released from the container and directed into the air bag to inflate the air bag to restrain movement of the vehicle occupant.
It is known to use a detonator to rupture a stored gas container to form an opening in a wall of the container. When this is done, the portion of the container wall which is broken open may be broken into small fragments. These fragments may undesirably be drawn into the gas flowing from the container. It is known to place filter material between a container and an air bag to trap such fragments.